Lyme disease is a systemic infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings , and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that causes signs and symptoms ranging from rash and flu-like fever and body aches to more serious ones including joint swelling, weakness, fatigue and temporary paralysis. Lyme disease can be transmitted from an infected mother to fetus through the placenta during pregnancy, possibly resulting in stillbirth. Lyme disease has at least 37 known species, 12 of which are Lyme related, and an unknown number of genomic strains. Lyme disease can affect the skin, joints, nervous system, and other organ systems. Symptoms, and their severity, can vary from person to person. In about 50% of the cases a characteristic rash or lesion called erythema migrans is seen. It begins a few days to a few weeks after the bite of an infected tick.
It is often described as looking like a bull's-eye with alternating light and dark rings. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States. Lyme disease can affect the heart, leading to an irregular heart rhythm or chest pain. It can spread to the nervous system, causing facial paralysis or tingling and numbness in the arms and legs. It can start to cause headaches and neck stiffness, which may be a sign of meningitis. Swelling and pain in the large joints can also occur. Lyme disease is not transmitted from person to person. The risk of developing Lyme disease depends on an individual's exposure to ticks. In 60-80 percent of cases, a rash resembling a bull's eye or solid patch, about two inches in diameter, appears and expands around or near the site of the bite. Lyme disease is most common in rural and suburban areas in the northeastern and midwestern states. Lyme disease occurs in patients of all ages. However, a bimodal peak exists: one at age 5-14 years and a second one at 50-59 years
Risk factors for Lyme disease include walking in high grasses, taking place in activities that increase tick exposure, and having a pet that may carry ticks home. Lyme arthritis which is antibiotic resistant may be treated with hydroxychloroquine or methotrexate. Antibiotic treatment is the central pillar in the management of Lyme disease. Traditional treatment of acute Lyme disease usually consists of a minimum two-week to one-month course of antibiotics. Doxycycline - bacteriostatic properties stops synthesis of bacteria replication. Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis. Amoxicillin - bacteriostatic properties do not kill bacterium, but do halt bacterial growth by inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Ceftriaxone - (intravenous therapy) bactericidal properties kill bacterium. Wear a hat and a long-sleeved shirt for added protection. Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily. Wash all clothes after leaving tick-infested areas, and bathe and shampoo your child thoroughly to eliminate any unseen ticks.
Lyme Disease Treatment Tips
1. Oral antibiotics -usually doxycycline for adults and children older than 8.
2. Use repellents only in small amounts, avoiding unnecessary repeat application.
3. Try to reduce the use of repellents by dressing in long sleeves and pants tucked into socks or boots.
4. Do not apply near eyes, nose or mouth and use sparingly around ears. Do not apply to the hands of small children.
5. Use an insect repellent containing deep or permethrin.
6. Apply deep sparingly to skin according to directions on the label.
7. Apply repellents according to label instructions. Applying directly to clothing appears to be most effective.
8. Avoid plantings that especially attract deer and other animals.
If you've ever contracted Lyme disease from an infected tick bite, then you realize how difficult the disease can be. Most people have no idea just how aggravating and agonizing the disease can be for those suffering from it. Muscle and joint agony that can last for a few days or weeks at a time, more than enough trips to your health practitioners office, misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments all can make for an extremely stressful period of time. Suffering with Lyme disease can be notably difficult for the reason that quite often the disease is misdiagnosed, which leads to treatment plans that don't work, and you then suffering ongoing illness and pain from the disease. For the simple reason there is no decisive test to resolve whether or not you have Lyme disease, an incorrect diagnosis is common. This is especially irritating for people that are told that their symptoms are "all in their mind," and then the sufferers are prescribed anti-depressants. There are more than 100 diverse symptoms of Lyme disease, that will make it immensely complicated for doctors to confine the symptoms into any single illness. The disease is also frequently misdiagnosed as another type of ailment such as arthritis, and so the patient will not receive correct treatment. If you are coping with Lyme disease as an everyday occurrence, following is some advice that may aid you as you fight your illness: Get as much knowledge as you can about Lyme disease. School yourself on the essential facts of Lyme disease, such as its symptoms, causes, how how to diagnose it and expectations of the disease. Lyme disease develops from the bacteria Borrelia, which is generally transmitted by way of the bite of a deer tick. Once the bacteria invades your body you'll more than likely start to experience symptoms within a few weeks. Among the symptoms are a bulls-eye shaped reddish rash, fatigue, fever, and arthritis-like muscle and joint pain. Coping with Lyme disease and its multitude of symptoms certainly is not enjoyable, but by scrutinizing your symptoms and your medical history, your doctor will hopefully be able to make a appropriate diagnosis. Once a proper diagnosis is made, a cure can begin. This will regularly include either IV or oral antibiotics to rid your body of the bacteria. Understanding the illness and how it affects your body is significant part of coping with Lyme disease. Speak with your doctor about the different cures that could be available. Antibiotics are frequently used to fight the disease. However, you have other remedies available. These natural cures aid you in curing your illness without the use of medicines and drugs that might cause other problems later, and could, in the long term, become expensive. The most difficult thing to do while you're feeling dreadful is be patient, but this is quite important when suffering with Lyme disease. You must give your body the opportunity to be cured and react to treatments, and becoming apprehensive over the time it's taking or thinking about how bad you feel will not give you relief any quicker. In fact, it will hinder your recovery. So just hang in there - you will get better in time.
Both Juliet Cohen & Jennifer King are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.